Love by the Sword
by Azrael3300
Summary: Motoko searches for a way to mend Keitaro's shattered soul.
1. Sakura Ballet

The sword flows, it twists and turns in gentle arcs, as if caressing an invisible form. The sun glints from its polished blade, shimmering rainbows of colour take flight with every stroke. Sakura blossoms tumble gracefully and ever downwards, settling like a scented pink snow. Only to be disturbed by feminine feet moving in graceful circles. Long black hair following suit. Like a gymnasts ribbon it twists and snaps. Slowly the ballet comes to a blissful halt. Serenity fills her being. Straight black hair frames her now still face. Motion reflecting mind, mind reflecting form.  
  
A young man looks onto this scene of irrepressible beauty, completely mesmerised by the form before him.  
  
"Amazing..." he whispers to himself, this however is enough to break the mood.  
  
"Urashima, " asks the woman quizzically "what are you doing?"  
  
"Oh," the boy replies, slightly startled. "Just watching you train"  
  
The aforementioned katana-wielding woman is none other than Motoko Aoyoma. She prides herself on her stalwart purity, and undeniable strength. However one of those qualities has begun to fail, due to the presence of a certain, clumsy ronin. This clumsy ronin is non other than Keitaro Urashima. This seemingly uninteresting rake of a boy is a third year ronin. Even after years of almost constant study he seems no closer to his goal.  
  
Blushing, Motoko smiles at the man and asks sweetly, "Would you like to join me?"  
  
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Sorry about the short chapter, I'm really anxious to continue this story, but I can't be bothered publishing it if no one wants to read it. So as they say in the classics, "the ball is in your court". If you want me to keep writing tell me so. Creative criticism welcomed, flames ignored. 


	2. Broken Heart, Bloodied Luggage

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Sorry about the disgustingly short first chapter, was it not for the human need for sleep it never would have happened. My chapters won't ever be terribly long, but they should be frequent. I'll at least try to top 1000w per chapter. Oh by the way:

Angst: n. A feeling or outlook of dread, fear, etc. There you go Kenshin, and don't worry. Pathetic is ignoring the meaning and pretending you know.

Legal BS:

I do not own, nor shall I ever own Love Hina, or any other anime for that matter. Which is a damned shame, because that would be great. Anyway please don't sue me, I like my money how it is, mine. However little there may be. Anyway, as promised here is chapter two!

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Love by the Sword

Chapter Two (Revised)

Broken Heart, Bloodied Luggage

The young martial artist turned and looked at the source of her meditation's interruption. She sees a young man. Not a man of any impressive stature certainly, but morally he had no equal. The young kendo master had grown quite fond of the young ronin over the past few months, in fact, she found herself falling head over heels in love with him.

"Urashima?" she asks quizzically "what are you doing?"

She watched, as the boy blushed slightly startled and replied "Oh, just watching you train"

Keitaro looked away hoping that the beautiful woman standing in front of him hadn't noticed him blushing.

Motoko giggled lightly at Keitaro's embarrassment.

"I can't believe he actually said something like that," she thought to herself "normally, he'd stammer some pathetic excuse and run as fast as he could." She looked back at her still red manager and asked sweetly, "Would you like to join me?"

Keitaro looked at Motoko like a deer caught in the headlights. Completely taken aback at her offer. His mind raced.

"What was that?" he thought hurriedly, "did she just ask if I wanted to train with her? Why would she ask me that? What the hell am I going to say to that? What will Naru think?" With that last thought Keitaro's eyes dropped, their normal radiance replaced by a murky despair, this did not go unnoticed by Motoko.

"Why can't he let himself move on?" she thought angrily to herself "Why can't he let go of Naru, even after what she did to him?!" White knuckles wrapped around the hilt of her katana, almost shaking with rage. However her rage was soon replaced with sorrow as she looked into the eyes of her friend. She thought back to the beginning of the end for Keitaro and Naru.

2 Months Prior 

Things had not been going well for Naru and Keitaro. It seemed that there was a wedge being driven between them, and there was only one person driving that wedge. Naru. No one could figure out why she was driving him away. We tried asking her but all that brought was an angry tirade, usually ending in Keitaro receiving another undeserved beating. She even pushed the rest of us away. We all knew that something was wrong, but we never got the chance to find out what.

"Naru wait!" screamed Keitaro helplessly as the long-haired beauty walked out of the doors of Hinata-sou, and out of his life. She had entangled herself in the arms of a musclebound meathead she had met 2 days prior. Even we were aghast at her sudden change in character. As Kitsune so eloquently put it, she had gone from 'Nice girl to raging slut' in roughly 2.5 seconds. We had never expected such a violent change in personality.

With a flick of her hair and a cruel smile she turned to her friends and said to us,

"Sorry, but I'm too old to be hanging around with children anymore, especially," she said staring straight into Keitaro's eyes, "ones as pathetic as you." They then walked out of Hinata-sou, and out of all our lives. We were all saddened by the loss of Naru, especially since we could never find out why she left. No one however, took it as hard as Keitaro. He stopped studying completely, saying that there was no point now that 'she' was gone. He stopped coming for meals, he even stopped drawing. It was like a part of him died that day. I, no we, all longed to see that part live again.

1 Month Later 

Keitaro had barely spoken a word to any of us outside, hello, sorry and goodbye. He was a broken man, a hollow shell. Nothing had been able to rouse him from his stupor. Shinobu had tried so very hard to help him. It hurt her so much to see her beloved sempai in such a state. Indeed, it had had a sobering effect on the whole dorm.

Suu had become less energetic and mostly consigned herself to her room and her inventions. Kitsune had began to drink more and more, the loss of two of her best friends had taken a large toll on her spirit. Even I had all but stopped training, simply because I could not draw my thoughts away from Keitaro, and why Naru had done such a thing to him. This continued for weeks, until one day Haruka, had stormed into the Inn and straight into Keitaro's room. The shouting did not stop for several minutes.

"God damn it Keitaro!" Haruka raged "You can't just stop living because Naru left you! What good is that going to do?" Keitaro sat silent, eyes staring at the floor, seemingly hearing nothing. "Come on Keitaro!" Haruka demanded as she dragged Keitaro up by his collar. Keitaro still cast his eyes away from the steel gaze of his Aunt.

"Just leave me alone." He replied in a monotone. Haruka was ready to knock her nephew into next week, hoping maybe that would force him to come back to reality. Before that however, she still had one more card to play. Her voice changed from anger, to an almost sad motherly tone.

"Do you realise what this has been doing to the other girls?" She asked solemnly. This seemed to open something in Keitaro, his eyes snapped open suddenly. Seeing this reaction, Haruka pressed harder. "Shinobu hasn't been truly happy since Naru left, she misses the old you. Kitsune has been drowning herself in sake and barely speaking to anybody," As Haruka spoke Keitaro's eyes started tearing. "Suu isn't half the girl she used to be, she just sits in her room working on her inventions. Motoko hasn't been training, at all. She just wanders around thinking." Keitaro couldn't take this anymore, he broke from Haruka's grip and sprinted out of his room.

The other girls and myself had all gathered downstairs, roused by the shouting coming from the manager's room. We were all standing solemnly waiting for some kind of resolution, when we saw Keitaro scramble down the stairs. Before any of us could think we were enveloped in a tight hug, while Keitaro half shouted, half cried "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Without a second thought we all hugged him back, happy that there was finally some light back in our lives. We stayed like that for what seemed like an age. When the hug finally broke Keitaro looked at us all with apologetic eyes.

"I'm really sorry you guys," he said softly ""I'm sorry I wasn't here for you when you really needed me." To that we all replied by tackling him into another hug. Laughter could be heard from Hinata-sou for quite some time. Haruka looked down from the stairs onto the happy scene then left quietly, her work was done.

Present Day 

Motoko came out of her reminiscence, and looked at Keitaro, who still had that downtrodden look on his face, his eyes seemingly nothing but empty holes in his face.

"Keitaro?" Motoko asked gently, trying to rouse the young man from his self-degrading stupor.

At the sound of Motoko's voice Keitaro snapped upright and almost shouted, "Yes! I mean, I'd love to! I mean, I'd love to train with you, Motoko-chan." By now his voice had slowed to a conversational pace, and he had a small smile on his face. Motoko however, was having none of the facade. She could still see the pain evident in his features, however well hidden. Although everyone was happier these days, there were still deep wounds in Keitaro's soul.

Keitaro, suddenly feeling the awkwardness of the situation muttered an excuse about having to fix the boiler and retreated into the Inn.

Motoko watched as he ran into Hinata-sou, almost like a scared rabbit scurrying to the safety of its burrow. She longed to see the honest, loving Keitaro she knew and adored. "I'm going to bring you out of this," she thought vehemently to herself "I'm going to show you that there are people who still love you. With that she walked into Hinata-sou to put her plan into action.


	3. Scheming and Soul’s Scars

Legal BS:

I do not own, nor shall I ever own Love Hina, or any other anime for that matter. Which is a damned shame, because that would be great. Anyway please don't sue me, I like my money how it is, mine. However little there may be.

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Love by the Sword

Chapter Three

'Scheming and Soul's Scars'

All members of the Shinmeiryu know very well their code of honour. A code which states, if one should make a promise or undertake a task, there are but two outcomes. Success in the task, or death in it's pursuit.

Motoko Aoyoma was now striving with all her worth to fulfil her silent vow to Keitaro. A vow to save him from the darkness that now enveloped his once bright soul. However try as she might, all she could come up with were quick fixes. Parties, camping trips, holidays, special treatment, hell, shed even considered asking Kitsune to knock his block off. Speculate as she might however, she knew full well that none of these plans would stop the gangrenous spread of depression through Keitaro.

The lack of solutions infuriated and saddened her. All she could think of was the despairing look on Keitaro's face the day Naru had left. A look that was now hidden by a mask wearing a clumsy smile.

"Naru" she thought angrily. A name that had hardly been uttered since that fateful day, due to the feelings of seething resentment it conjured within the residents of Hinata-sou.

As bad as that day had been for their lovesick landlord, it had also been a harsh slap in the face for the other residents. In one brutally quick moment, their quasi family had been grievously damaged. 'That girl' as she had come to be known, had since then made no effort to contact the remaining tenants. Even Kitsune, her best friend, had had no contact from her. Or at least none she was willing to acknowledge.

As Motoko unwittingly re-acquainted herself with the sad events of the last few months she did not notice Shinobu's entrance to her room until she tapped her tense shoulder.

"Oh, Shinobu, what can I help you with?" Motoko asked, slightly startled.

"There's a phone call for you downstairs." The young girl replied quickly and politely.

"Thankyou Shinobu, I'll be down presently." With that, Motoko rose and followed Shinobu downstairs. As she followed, she couldn't help but think of how the young girl must be suffering through all this. She cared for Keitaro deeply, as well as for the rest of the residents. The events of the past months had indeed taken their toll on the little mother. While she was still polite and friendly, a little bit of the warmth in her smile had faded. These thoughts made Motoko even more disappointed in her failure to find a solution.

Motoko completed her graceful and thought full descent down the stairs and lifted the phone's receiver.

"Hello? Motoko Aoyoma speaking."

"Motoko! It's good to hear your voice again!"

"Sister?" Motoko replied slightly startled. Mostly due to the fact that a phone call from Tsuruko meant she was in trouble, and a lot of it.

"It most certainly is." Tsuruko replied in a typically shipper demeanour " How have you been?"

The two sisters then proceeded to run through the usual 'How's the family's' and such. However once these were dispensed with, an uncomfortable silence fell between the two siblings.

"Sister?"

"Yes Motoko?"

"Why did you call?"

"Do I need a reason to call my little sister?" Tsuruko enquired, slightly affronted.

"No," Motoko replied hastily, "but for us to converse by phone rather than by letter, is usually an indication that something is amiss."

"There is no point trying to hide anything from you sister, you grow more observant with each passing day." Tsuruko replied after a slight pause. "I rang because I am concerned."

"Concerned regarding what?"

"Concerned regarding you dear sister," Tsuruko stated seriously. "Your letters of late have hinted at an unhappiness, no matter how you try to hide it." Tsuruko's demeanour had changed from serious to caring. "What troubles you so?"

"It is not I, who is troubled," Motoko replied softly "or at least not directly. It's Keitaro."

"Ah." Tsuruko stated softly "I take it his heart has still not mended from the 'incident'.

Tsuruko had been surprised to find that her sister had sent her an extra letter that fortnight. Even more surprising was the letters appearance. Instead of the small precise forms she had grown accustomed to finding in Motoko's letters, she found rushed and messy characters. It seemed that the letter had been heavily rushed. Once she began to read she soon began to understand why. Motoko relayed on pen and paper the chaos of that morning, her feeling of anger and disbelief mixing with a recollection of events into a mess of ink and sweat.

By the end of the letter Tsuruko herself was on the cusp of a murderous rage. For all of her teasing and intimidations, she was deeply fond of Hinata-sou's young manager. She knew unquestionably that he could not have done anything to warrant or provoke that kind of brutality. He was simply too good a person. She didn't quite remember how she had stopped herself hunting down Narusegawa and punishing her for such an atrocity. However she was quite sure that it involved an enormous amount of indiscriminate destruction.

Motoko finished retelling the tragic events of the last months to her sister, as well as her promise to help Keitaro. Finally stating near tears "I just don't know what to do for him."

"I know sister," Tsuruko replied softly. "It's a difficult situation for all involved." The only advice I can give you is that he won't be able to fully heal while still at Hinata-sou. The memories are too close and too plentiful.

It was then that a plan began to form in the elder Aoyama's head.

"Motoko?" Tsuruko asked quickly, "Is Keitaro currently attending prep school at he moment?"

"No" Motoko replied sadly "it's holidays at the moment, but with all that's happened I doubt if Keitaro will even try for Tokyo U next year. Why?"

Tsuruko's mind raced plotting and planning at a hundred miles an hour.

"Motoko," Tsuruko stated sternly " I want yourself and Keitaro on the next train to Kyoto. If Keitaro's soul cannot be mended in Hinata, then we shall do it here"

Apon hearing those words Motoko's eyes lit up like two burning suns.

"Yes!" she replied, a giant smile gracing her beautiful face as Tsuruko began running through the specifics of their sea change.

Damn, only a thousand words, seems like a lot more when your scribbling them down at 3 in the morning. I really wish my brain could get creative at about 7pm. Anyway, thanks again to everyone who reviewed, I know it's been a bloody long time between updates and I'm sorry. Please keep reviewing and I'll definitely have the next chapter out within the next week or so. If I don't just scream and yell until I do.

-Azrael3300


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